IndieCommunication: New IndieCommerce Training Options, Added Features, and Other Updates

Training Days

With cooler weather comes a variety of new learning options for IndieCommerce stores, on the web, via video, and with webinars.

Web Documentation: The IndieCommerce Help Center is being updated regularly with new help topics for the Drupal 7 platform. If help is needed on a topic that isn’t covered in the Help Center, booksellers are encouraged to let the IndieCommerce team know.

Videos: The IndieCommerce team has updated many of its training videos and will be releasing them online in the coming weeks. The videos will cover a variety of topics, and while some may be familiar, booksellers are encouraged to review them all, especially as many of the advanced videos refer to earlier topics.

A sample of the topics covered by the videos includes:

• Content Types – An Overview
• Creating content (page, event, etc.)
• Uploading images
• Blocks – Create, configure, and position
• Menus – Create, configure, Superfish menu
• Custom Product Classes – Create, configure, add new fields, manage display
• Discount Coupons – Create coupon codes, configure, and add restrictions
• Staff Reviews – Two ways of adding staff reviews and the differences between the two
• ThemeKey

Webinars: Training webinars are coming to IndieCommerce. Each will last for 60 minutes and will be conducted via GoToMeeting. IndieCommerce staff will be available to discuss any topic of a bookseller’s choosing, even if it is not covered by the training materials. Webinars will provide the opportunity to spend a concentrated time on a single topic, such as a new feature. Each will be limited to 20 participants; watch for updates regarding the webinars and instructions on how to join them.

Webinars are tentatively scheduled for 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET on September 23, October 7, October 21, November 4, and November 18.

New Features

Two new features have been added to the Drupal platform:

ISBN-10 Search: ISBN-10 search is now available on all sites. By default, ISBN-10s entered into a search bar will automatically be converted to ISBN-13 and the customer will be taken directly to the matching book. If custom products are listed on a store site using regular ISBN-10 and the ISBN-10 search is interfering with the custom product search, the ISBN-10 search can be disabled on the store site by selecting that option on the Store Preferences page:

Store -> Configuration -> Account Information and Preferences -> Store Preferences -> Disable Search by ISBN-10

Hide Logo in Invoice: Logos that a store does not want to appear on order invoices can be hidden via the Store Preferences page:

Store -> Configuration -> Account Information and Preferences -> Store Preferences -> Hide Logo in Invoice

Updates

During the IndieCommerce platform’s monthly maintenance window on September 8, the following updates were applied:

• Drupal 7.39, ctools 7.x-1.9, ckeditor 7.x-1.16
• Low priority updates to a lot of packages, including Apache

Authorize.net Security Update: Stores using their own Authorize.net Payment Gateway have received an e-mail from Authorize.net regarding a couple of technical updates. The IndieCommerce team received the same notification and conducted the necessary testing to confirm that IndieCommerce will not be affected by these updates. Monitoring of Authorize.net updates will continue and necessary steps will be taken. Stores using their own Authorize.net accounts are not required to take any action.

Lastly, an Authorize.net Price Promotion

Stores that would like to establish their own Authorize.net accounts can make use of the Waived Setup Fee Promotion by Authorize.net with the link available here. The promotion is available until September 30.

Detailed instructions for setting up an Authorize.net account are available here.

Stay in Touch

Booksellers are encouraged to contact the IndieCommerce team to let them know what the store needs, what is working, and what isn’t. The IndieCommerce development list is based on member feedback.

Watch for regular IndieCommunication newsletters in the weeks to come.

A link to add staff members to the IndieCommunication recipient list can be found in the left-hand column on the IndieCommerce Help Center.